Songs from a Rusty Cage
by DreamingIce
Summary: Compilation of short ficlets from a 2012 shuffle challenge. All set in or around the 74th games. Peeta, Mrs Everdeen, Prim, general ensemble.


**Songs from a Rusty Cage**

So, I originally wrote these as part of a multifandom challenge this year - 10 songs from my iPod on shuffle=5 ficlets from various fandoms each month. Every month (Ending with 60 ficlets across some 30 odd fandoms!).

Hunger Games ideas surfaced a few times, (helped along by a certain movie, admittedly) so I compiled the four little HG ficlets together for everyone. Please Enjoy!

* * *

**January**

**Title: **Swiftly Goes the Day  
**Fandom:** Hunger Games  
**Characters:** Peeta Mellark  
**Timeframe:** Train to 74th games  
**Theme:** Twenty Four – Switchfoot  
_~*~  
Twenty four finds me  
__In twenty-fourth place  
__Twenty four drop outs  
__At the end of the day  
__Life is not what I thought it was  
__Twenty four hours ago  
~*~_

That first night on the train, Peeta spends most of the evening sitting near the window, aimlessly staring at the dark landscape.

Logically, he knew he should probably get as much rest as he could, but that was easier said than done. And the rich food had made him queasy to boot.

He wasn't sure if he loved or hated Katniss for what she did. On one hand, he admired her protection of her sister, but on the other hand he would rather be against _anyone_ but her. He didn't know what to do about her. She at least was oblivious to his feelings. His embarrassment would only be complete if she found that out now.

And to think this time yesterday, he was having what would end up being his last meal at home, worried, but not truly believing that his name, or his brother's would be called out. And he'd happily been watching Katniss Everdeen from afar.

Now they were hundreds of miles from District 12, forced together on the way to their deaths.

_Well_, he amended, _at least one of us is_.

He would not be surprised if Katniss was the one to scrape through a District 12 victory after all these years. Peeta Mellark, on the other hand, he rather suspected would be out of the Games before too long.

* * *

**June**

**Title:** Trampled Hearts  
**Fandom:** Hunger Games  
**Characters:** Mrs Everdeen  
**Timeframe:** Reaping Day  
**Theme:** Already Over – Red

_Nothing left to lose  
__Loving you again  
__I know it's already over,  
__already over now  
~*~_

Her memories of her mother are sparse these days, but they are always at the forefront of her mind on Reaping Day.

Her mother only saw two of her reaping days before succumbing to the winter sickness that swept through the district that year.

"_One day,"_ she used to say._ "One day, you will understand how easily your children can trample all over your heart, even if they don't intend to."_

Violet Everdeen knows she is far from the perfect mother. Both her girls love her still, she does not doubt that. But she also knows Katniss' faith in her died the same day the mine blew five years ago.

Her elder daughter looks at her, and in those grey eyes, so like her father's, she can see the distrust lurking there.

Her heart squeezes painfully each time.

Prim's name is called, and Violet's world shatters.

Each step Prim takes echoes painfully on her fluttering heart.

Katniss' actions leave her shaking, only still on her feet because her baby girl is sobbing into her arms and she knows the following weeks are going to be some of the worst of her life.

Trampling all over her heart. Her mother was right.

* * *

**November**

**Title:** When the Bough Breaks  
**Fandom:** Hunger Games  
**Characters:** Ensemble  
**Timeframe:** End of 74th Games, AU  
**Theme:** With an Iron Fist – Immediate Music  
~*~

All Panem watches as the two teenagers fall to the ground, hands still clasped.

The pair are quickly winched away, but most people know it is too late: The tributes of District 12 are dead.

There is no victor for the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

In the gamemakers rooms, the Seneca Crane has gone white as a sheet. Snow had warned him. But he'd thought he had everything under control, and now he would pay for that arrogance with his own life. The pampered man does not even begin to hide his shaking hands.

The mentor's area of operations is deathly silent. Haymitch hasn't moved since the two swallowed the berries, his face hidden, buried in his shaking hands. The group of potential conspirators—Finnick, Johanna, Beetee, Chaff, and the others —can only stare on in a combination of horror and awe at what Peeta and Katniss have done. If someone spots tears leaking out from beneath the hands over Haymitch's face, no one says a single word.

District 12 is in chaos. Some are angry at the pair, others support them. In the Everdeen household, Hazelle Hawthorne is holding a crying Violet Everdeen, who in turn was holding back a screaming Prim. Gale was still frozen, staring at the screen where Katniss had fallen. The world as they've known it has ended. Of that they are all sure.

The country holds its breath, waiting, waiting for the Capitol's next move.

* * *

**December**

**Title:** Surreal  
**Fandom:** Hunger Games  
**Characters:** Primrose Everdeen  
**Timeframe:** 74th Reaping  
**Theme:** Trust Me – Doctor Who Season 6 soundtrack  
~*~

"_Primrose Everdeen!"_

The immediate seconds after that pronouncement are among some of the most surreal of her life. She can almost feel the blood draining from her face, and her ears are ringing, blocking out the noise around her.

Prim feels rather than sees the girls around draw away from her, as though they too will suffer her fate by association alone.

Effie Trinket's voice, urging her to come up, seems to come from far away. She sets her face as best she can, and starts the walk to the podium.

What is really a few short yards stretches out in front of her like it was a mile. She can feel the back her blouse working its way loose again, but is too nervous to tuck it back in, lest everyone see how badly her hands are shaking. Thinking back to this morning's comment about her duck tail—the jokes on her, she may as well be a sitting duck waiting for slaughter—only makes her hands shake harder, and Prim clenches her fists together to stop them.

She dares not turn around to find Katniss' face in the crowd of kids behind her. Prim knows that it would be her undoing. Her sister has done everything in her power to try and protect her.

But not even her strong, stubborn sister can protect her from this.

"Prim!"

Katniss' voice makes her pause. She can't turn around and see the fear and desperation in her face. She can already hear it in her voice.

"I volunteer!" desperation is thick in her sister's voice, and Prim is suddenly being shielded physically by Katniss. "I volunteer as Tribute!"

For a minute, all the air has left Prim's lungs. She can't even choke out a protest as confusion appears on Effie Trinket's face.

She launches herself at Katniss, and finds her voice again. She does not care that everyone can see her—screaming, pleading, begging—they don't even register at this moment. Then Gale is pulling her away, and she is deposited in her mother's arms.

Prim still wants to fight as the Katniss is accepted as this year's female tribute. She cannot support sending her sister to die in her place.

Suddenly her reality has surpassed the horror of her nightmares in a way she hadn't thought possible.

* * *

All thoughts, concrit, feedback, etc is loved!

Happy New Year!


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